NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Cincinnati baseball team closed a three-run deficit to one run entering the bottom of the eighth inning, but a two-run home run by Notre Dame’s Casey Martin widened the Fighting Irish lead back to three-runs and lifted Notre Dame to a 5-2 victory in the opener of a three-game BIG EAST Conference series Friday night at Frank Eck Stadium.

The loss dropped UC back to .500 overall at 18-18 and 4-9 in the BIG EAST, while the Irish captured their fourth consecutive conference victory and moved to 16-21 overall and 6-7 in the league.

Junior Justin Riddell led the Bearcats at the plate going 3-for-4 and added a stolen base and an RBI, while senior Jimmy Jacquot added two hits and an RBI.

A two-out double to right-center field by Martin scored a run from second base in the bottom of the first inning to give the Irish the early 1-0 lead.

In the third inning, a solo home run to left field off the bat of Ryan Connelly widened the ND lead to two runs, 2-0.

After the Irish upped their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Bearcats got one of the runs back in the seventh. Junior Chris Peters led the inning off with a single to right field and moved to third base following two ground outs. Riddell came through with a two-out, RBI single into right field that scored Peters and closed the deficit to 3-1.

UC continued to inch closer in the eighth inning as another two-out hit, this time a double down the left field line by Jacquot, scored junior Mikel Huston all the way from first base to bring Cincinnati within one run, 3-2.

Just as Cincinnati was making its comeback, Martin’s two-run, eighth-inning home run upped the Irish lead back to three runs, 5-2.

Martin’s home run provided enough insurance and the Fighting Irish took the series opener, 5-2.

Senior Brian Garman went 7.0 innings in his second start of the season and gave up three earned runs to keep the Bearcats in the ball game, but was handed his first loss of the season.

The Bearcats and Fighting Irish resume their three-game series on Saturday, April 24, at 3:30 p.m.